Day 30: A Story I'd Rather Not Tell

Today was one of the most blessed Sundays of my life. There's so many stories to tell that I don'teven know where to begin. So I guess I'll start with the one I'm most ashamed of.

As I've mentioned before, Dylan and I had been preaching and giving messages at Weru but I had not yet given a message at the main Sunday service, which over 200 people attend. I had been preparing a message on Philippians 2 about love and how true love requires sacrifice. To our surprise, Dylan and I really came to love speaking, whether to a church congregation, fellowship, or family, because we felt that God could really minister to people through us. But like many things in my life, my pride quickly enters the picture and corrupts my heart. So I was really looking forward to giving the message at the main service on this Sunday, because...well, it was my turn. Dylan had spoken at the main service the week before and so I assumed that I would be speaking on this Sunday. For those of you who know me well, imagine what internal struggles I had when Pastors Mwiti and Karau decided that Nathan would be speaking at the main service and that I would be preaching at the evening service...again. For those of you who don't know me quite as well, let's just say I wasn't happy and leave it at that.

The previous night, as I looked over the message I had prepared on love, I felt both really ashamed that I was actually bitter towards Nathan and also really angry because I felt I was entitled to give a sermon at the main service. Heck, Weru was my assignment right? Nathan was our guest was he not? How could he just stroll into my neighborhood (so to speak) and be given the honor of preaching at the main service? It sounds really prideful, stupid, and slightly ridiculous, but this was honestly what was going through my head.

Then I thought about my message and its core theme. True love requires sacrifice. Of course, God wouldn't let my anger and bitterness win over His plan. Once my shame began to set in, I heard some simple questions: What's your message about? Do you live it out? As I talked through my struggles with Dylan, I realized how hypocritical it would be of me to give a message about love when I couldn't even love my teammate and brother Nathan. It wasn't his fault at all. He didn't ask to give the message. He was simply serving in whatever way the Pastors asked. In the same way, I realized that I had to serve in whatever way God asked. I had to put aside my pride and desire for glory and simply serve. Serve in whatever way brings God the most glory. Ironically enough, Nathan told me he would be preaching on Philippians 2 and humility. God does indeed have a sense of humor.

Fast forward to Sunday and we the GP team simply served in whatever way we were asked. Pastor Karau, Rich, Jackie, and Paula went to Mpuri to preach and to minister to that branch. The rest of us (Dylan, Nathan, Melissa, Katie, and I) remained to teach Sunday School and to preach. At the end of the evening service, those of us in Weru were given the opportunity to lay our hands on people and to pray over them. I don't know exactly what spiritual things transpired that day but I know that God worked in amazing ways through everyone who served. I know in my heart that people in Weru and Mpuri were served and that the Holy Spirit met them.

As for me, I was blessed to be able to serve. I did another thing I'm terrible at and apologized to Nathan for wronging him and he was so gracious to me. Like our GP director Brian said: Sometimes God brings us all the way across the world to teach us something. To show me something. That day, I learned so much about pride, humility, and servanthood. Because as much I meant for people to be blessed by my message about love, I probably learned more about love and sacrifice from my own message than I could have ever predicted.

Dylan and I addressing the congregation of Weru Worship Centre one last time

Nathan and I chilling with some kids